CTF in the News

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

When is the last time anyone was told by the government that they “refuse to take your money”? Documents have recently surfaced indicating that in a bizarre case, the federal Conservative Party is suing Elections Canada for refusing to accept nearly $600,000 in in duplicate GST rebates.

For those of you who probably think that you read that incorrectly, you did not. The government (via Elections Canada) is refusing to accept repayment for money that was overpaid to the Conservative Party. Making the logic of Elections Canada even more dizzying is its own defence that the Conservative Party repaying the amount owed would “create and unfair playing field”. “Unfair to whom?” one might ask. Seemingly, it would be “unfair” to the Conservatives for having to pay it back while the other parties do not, which leads to a screamingly obvious solution, that Elections Canada should require all parties to repay the duplicated rebate.